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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pop — music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. spell — magic
  11. key — in music
  12. scale — in music
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rule — government
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pop — soda
  18. fine — all right
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. key — the most important part
  21. spell — letters
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rule — a law
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com